Click on question to jump to response…
The Basics:
Who can/should come to the Section Meeting?
Can I get help paying for the Section Meeting?
When should I arrive?
When should I leave?
How do I register for extra nights? Will I have to move if I stay for extra nights?
How can I get to the Lake Doniphan Conference Center from the airport?
Who should I contact with other questions?
Business and Activities:
What FWCC materials should I bring with me for business sessions?
If I’m not a representative, should I go to the business sessions?
What is a Home Group?
Is there pastoral care available?
Being Prepared and Packing:
What should I bring with me in terms of personal items?
What should I wear?
Will there be wifi?
Will there be amenities such as convenience stores or restaurants within walking distance?
- Who can/should come to the Section Meeting?
- All Friends are welcome, though registration is required. Nominated representatives from each affiliated yearly meeting are expected to attend, if possible. The assembled body of the representatives is the Friends World Committee for Consultation, so we can’t do it without you! Go to the Top
- Can I get help paying for the Section Meeting?
- It is assumed that North American yearly meetings will support their appointed Representatives’ travel to Section Meetings. Please be in contact directly with your own yearly meeting regarding how to access this support.
- Others wishing to attend the Section Meeting but looking for financial assistance are encouraged to speak with their monthly and yearly meetings to see if there might be funds available. Go to the Top
- When should I arrive?
- Those attending only the Section Meeting itself should arrive on the afternoon of Thursday, March 21st in time for dinner at about 6pm. The opening session will be that evening.
- Those attending the Executive committee meeting or the Convocations committee meeting on Wednesday evening should arrive on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 20th in time for dinner at about 6pm. In terms of registration, sign up for the Section Meeting itself and add Wednesday night and the relevant meals a la carte.
- Those attending other committee meetings on Thursday morning should arrive in time for those meetings at 9am. This may mean arriving on Wednesday afternoon or evening and staying overnight. In terms of registration, sign up for the Section Meeting itself, Thursday lunch a la carte if desired, and Wednesday night and other relevant meals a la carte if desired.
- Those attending COAL meetings should arrive in the afternoon or evening on Monday, March 18th. Karen Gregorio will handle your registrations.
- Those attending Traveling Ministry Corps training should arrive in the afternoon or evening on Monday, March 18th. Karen Gregorio and Heather Gosse will handle your registrations. Go to the Top
- When should I leave?
- Everyone must leave on Sunday afternoon, March 24th. The Section Meeting itself lasts through lunch from about 12-1, and we have the use of the conference center until mid-afternoon. However, we must all vacate the premises by late afternoon. Those not flying out until Monday can stay in hotels near the airport. Closer to the time, Dave and Kathy, the Conference Managers, will share information with those flying out on Monday to allow those in this situation to coordinate if they wish regarding hotels near the airport. Go to the Top
- How do I register for extra nights? Will I have to move if I stay for extra nights?
- If you are coming for the Traveling Ministry training or for the COAL meeting, your registration for that part of the week will be handled separately through Heather Gosse or through Karen Gregorio. These groups will be housed in the mini-lodges Monday night through Wednesday night. If you don’t want to move, register for the Section Meeting in a mini-lodge, and you should be able to stay in the same place.
- If you are coming for the committee meetings on Wednesday evening or coming on Wednesday in preparation for committee meetings on Thursday morning, please register for the Section Meeting, making sure to add Wednesday night a la carte, with appropriate meals as desired. If you sign up for the same type of housing Wednesday night as for the Section Meeting itself, you should be able to stay in the same room.
- Everyone else should come on Thursday afternoon and not need to register for extra nights. Go to the Top
- How can I get to the Lake Doniphan Conference Center from the airport?
- There are shuttle and taxi services that can run from the airport to the Lake Doniphan Conference Center. Closer to the time, as our conference managers collect more information about who is coming when, they can share information among those arriving around the same time so attendees can coordinate transportation if they wish. Go to the Top
- Who can I contact with other questions?
- Questions about housing or meals, contact the Conference Managers. Phone: 1-701-222-1521
E-mail: ConfMgrs@aol.com - Questions about transportation, facilities, accessibility, or anything else related to the conference site, contact the Conference Managers. Phone: 1-701-222-1521
E-mail: ConfMgrs@aol.com - For questions about the COAL meetings and COAL registration, contact Karen Gregorio. Email: kareng@fwccamericas.org
- For other questions about the Section Meeting, contact Heather Gosse. Phone: 1-215-241-7250 Email: heatherg@fwccamericas.org
- Questions about housing or meals, contact the Conference Managers. Phone: 1-701-222-1521
- What FWCC materials should I bring with me for business sessions?
- Bring the Advance Documents printed out or downloaded onto some electronic device. We will not have paper copies available and the wifi is limited, so this is important. Representatives may want to bring printed-out or downloaded copies of the Representatives Manual, though we will have paper copies of the Manual available. Clerks of committees should think ahead about any materials they need for committee meetings or other business and make arrangements to have those materials present.
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- Bring the Advance Documents printed out or downloaded onto some electronic device. We will not have paper copies available and the wifi is limited, so this is important. Representatives may want to bring printed-out or downloaded copies of the Representatives Manual, though we will have paper copies of the Manual available. Clerks of committees should think ahead about any materials they need for committee meetings or other business and make arrangements to have those materials present.
- If I’m not a representative, should I come to the business sessions?
- Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate in the business sessions! Our business sessions include a number of items of general interest, including a memorial meeting time, presenting the Traveling Ministry Corps members, etc.
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- Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate in the business sessions! Our business sessions include a number of items of general interest, including a memorial meeting time, presenting the Traveling Ministry Corps members, etc.
- What is a Home Group?
- Home Groups are small groups of about ten people that meet every day. The Home Groups offer the opportunity for us to connect with others, to create a smaller community within the larger gathering, and to share our experiences in a spiritually grounded place. Groups are bilingual, and their composition reflects the diversity of Friends in attendance.
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- Home Groups are small groups of about ten people that meet every day. The Home Groups offer the opportunity for us to connect with others, to create a smaller community within the larger gathering, and to share our experiences in a spiritually grounded place. Groups are bilingual, and their composition reflects the diversity of Friends in attendance.
- Is there pastoral care available?
- There is a pastoral care team available, drawn from a diversity of backgrounds, to talk and pray with anyone who may need encouragement, comfort, or spiritual support.
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- There is a pastoral care team available, drawn from a diversity of backgrounds, to talk and pray with anyone who may need encouragement, comfort, or spiritual support.
- What should I bring with me in terms of personal items?
- Doniphan provides hand soap bars in the main lodge rooms, and wall mounted pump soap dispensers in the mini lodges. No shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairdryers, lotions, shower caps, in room coffee service, or other personal amenities are provided. Cabins do not have any toiletries. You should bring whatever you need for personal care.
- The walkways between the lodge buildings are lighted well enough at night that a flashlight is not required to get between them, but persons may want to bring flashlights to walk across the grounds to campfire sites or take other non-paved shortcuts which are not lighted. Persons in cabins which are in less well-lit areas will be helped with flashlights.
- We are in the country and there will be noises whether from the animals at night, or the other persons in the room. Earplugs are not required by most guests, but should be brought by those who want to block out all sounds.
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- What should I wear?
- Casual dress is acceptable for the Section Meeting. However, it is up to your personal preference. We recommend dressing in layers and bringing gloves and a hat as weather on the Great Plains is unpredictable. Additionally, it is impossible to control the temperature of the meeting space to fit everyone’s individual preferences. If you can bring an extra jacket or gloves and a hat to loan to a Friend from a warmer climate, please let us know.
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- Casual dress is acceptable for the Section Meeting. However, it is up to your personal preference. We recommend dressing in layers and bringing gloves and a hat as weather on the Great Plains is unpredictable. Additionally, it is impossible to control the temperature of the meeting space to fit everyone’s individual preferences. If you can bring an extra jacket or gloves and a hat to loan to a Friend from a warmer climate, please let us know.
- Will there be wifi?
- WIFI is available with a passcode in the Main Lodge, Mini Lodges and Tabernacle. The bandwidth is limited to approximately 5 Mbps. Because the bandwidth is limited, the more people who access and use it, the less responsive it will become. Please do not count on extensive use of wifi.
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- WIFI is available with a passcode in the Main Lodge, Mini Lodges and Tabernacle. The bandwidth is limited to approximately 5 Mbps. Because the bandwidth is limited, the more people who access and use it, the less responsive it will become. Please do not count on extensive use of wifi.
- Will there be amenities such as convenience stores or restaurants within walking distance?
- There are no basic amenities within walking distance. Lake Doniphan is 1 mile south of Highway 10 on Doniphan Lake road, which is two lane paved road with no sidewalks. The turn off from Highway 10 onto Doniphan Lake Road is a mile uphill on Highway 10 from the edge of Excelsior Springs and again has no sidewalks. Once into Excelsior Springs, it is another mile into the center of town where the post office is. Fast food restaurants, grocery stores, and Walmart are another 2 miles away, 5 miles total.
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- There are no basic amenities within walking distance. Lake Doniphan is 1 mile south of Highway 10 on Doniphan Lake road, which is two lane paved road with no sidewalks. The turn off from Highway 10 onto Doniphan Lake Road is a mile uphill on Highway 10 from the edge of Excelsior Springs and again has no sidewalks. Once into Excelsior Springs, it is another mile into the center of town where the post office is. Fast food restaurants, grocery stores, and Walmart are another 2 miles away, 5 miles total.